Jose Angel Gurria

“Our mission is to make the world economy work better.”

“Israel has been doing very well, but there are challenges the country faces, like poverty and social integration of the Orthodox, Arab, Beduin, and Ethiopian population, which will be essential for sustaining strong growth over time.”

“Uncertainty and fears of social decline and exclusion have reached the middle class in many societies.”

“We cannot sustain long-term growth in our economies if we do not protect and preserve our environment.”

“I say just put a big fat tax on carbon.”

“In a globally interdependent world, a better financial and investment system cannot be achieved on a country-by-country basis. There may be no one-size-fits-all model for economic development, but without global standards and complementary regulations, the long-term outlook for the world economy will remain bleak.”

“There is no reason for women to trail behind men in social, economic, and political outcomes.”

“Those who argue for Brexit are wrong, and that is because they have not been properly informed about the costs.”

“You can accuse Europeans of being many things - except fast.”

“If we can rid the world of financial centres that thrive on lack of transparency, non-cooperation, and weak regulation, an important step towards a fairer and cleaner world economy will have been achieved.”

“The OECD deals with the economic aspects of a host of issues, including education, health, and the environment.”

“Ending our reliance on fossil fuels was never going to be easy.”

“Our work at the OECD shows that migration, if well managed, can spur growth and innovation. Unfortunately, in the past, migration has not always been well managed: migrants have been concentrated in ghetto-like conditions, with few public services or employment prospects.”

“Israel is a producer of growth.”

“Governments can and do expropriate investors or discriminate against them. Domestic judicial and administrative systems provide investors with one option for protecting themselves.”

“Ensuring a better future for all South Africans will require increased access to higher education, a stronger and fairer labour market, deeper participation in regional markets, and a regulatory framework that fosters entrepreneurship and allows small businesses to thrive.”

“Some refugees will find it relatively easy to find jobs. A university-educated Syrian civil engineer arriving in Munich will need to learn some German, but once this is done, he or she is unlikely to have to wait too long before employers come knocking.”

“Some politicians fear the burden that migrants will impose on local communities and taxpayers. Others fear extremists masquerading as genuine refugees.”

“Every country faces its own obstacles to reaching gender equality, and to make a real difference, we must change public policies in tandem with stereotypes, attitudes, and behaviors.”

“In a world that places a growing premium on social skills, education systems need to do much better at fostering those skills systematically across the school curriculum.”